About this Charity

Current Situation

Yushu is a very poor area in Eastern Tibet and although it is not possible to obtain statistics, the Tibetan people have a very high rate of morbity and mortality.

Most Tibetan people either cannot afford Healthcare, or cannot access it, because of their remote location. It is known that many are mal-nourished and that ante-natal care; obstetric care, and immunization programs are unavailable or inaccesable. Many people are dying from preventable illnesses. Common problems include a wide range of infectious diseases (for example measles, tuberculosis, leprosy, and gastro-intestinal parasites), cardio-vascular diseases (especially hypertension), arthritis, gastro-intestinal problems, diabetes, epilepsy, and eye problems.

How it Started

The impetus for this Medical Center came from a shared vision of a small group of Australian people and Venerable Lama Rabten Rinpoche who is a resident Lama at the Chodrak Monastery in Tibet. This Monastry is in the Kham district of Eastern Tibet where the nearest city, Yushu with a population of 60,000, is approximately 2 hours drive away.

Venerable Lama Rabten Rinpoche

Rinpoche Rabten is a practitioner of traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine and for years has treated and given Dharma teachings to many sick Tibetan people, some of whom have travelled days to get help. Knowing the profound suffering of his fellow people and knowing that much of this suffering is both preventable and treatable with the correct means, it has been his wish to establish a Medical Centre. To be effective, he has recognized the need for providing both traditional and allopathic medicine. He has named this medical centre ‘The Beneficial to All Medical Centre’ so that all poor people in the area - both Tibetan and Chinese - can access medical care.

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Lama Rabten Rinpoche distributing medicine to Tibetan people, before the construction of the Medical Centre in November 2007.

Australian Involvement

In 2007 some Australian people became aware of the health crisis in the Yushu area. Money was sent to Rinpoche Rabten to build the Medical Centre and buy a 4WD vehicle. In June 2007 the Charity was formed. Since then many people have come forward to offer their services and resources, both in Australia and Tibet.